Duplicating roll film cleaning device



y 1951 c. w. HUGHSON 2,551,601

DUPLICATING ROLL FILM CLEANING DEVICE I Filed Sept. 7, 1945 24 D II 195a? ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1951 DUPLICATING ROLL FILM CLEANIN DEVICECaleb W. Hughson, Milton, Mass, assignor to Ditto, Incorporated,Chicago, 111., a corporation of West Virginia Application September 7,1945, Serial No. 615,064

1 Claim. (01. 10l'425) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) My invention relates to aduplicating roll film cleaning device. It has to do, more particularly,with a cleaning device for cleaning and candltioning the gelatin filmwhich is provided on the copying roll of a duplicating machine of awellknown type, although it is not limited thereto.

In a popular type of duplicating machine, a copying roll is providedwhich carries a gelatin film known as the copying film. This film iscarried mainly by feed and rewind rolls disposed within the hollowcopying roll and which are so arranged that the film feeds from the feedroll,

out through a segmental cutaway space in the periphery of the roll,around the segmental printing surface of the copying roll, and then backthrough the segmental space where it winds on therewind roll. From timeto time, it is necessary to clean the exposed surface of the copyingfilm. This has been accomplished by hand with a sponge soaked withwater. However, since the copying roll i a broken or cutaway roll, thisoperation is extremely dangerous because it is very easy for theoperator to get his hands caught between the edge of the segmental spaceof the roll and a paper-supporting shelf which i disposed closelyadjacent thereto. Time and time again the hands of the operators havebeen injured in this manner. Furthermore, cleaning the film with asponge held in the hand is not effective and thorough, especially sincethe operator is usually worrying about injury resulting to his hands.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a duplicating filmcleaning device which is very effective and will clean the filmthoroughly and which is of such a nature that it can be used without anydanger of injury to the operator.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the typeindicated which is extremely simple and can be manufactured andinstalled on a duplicating machine at a low cost.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a duplicating machine with my filmcleaning device installed thereon.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational View, partly broken trated a duplicatingmachine of a common type to which my device is applicable. However, my

device is not limited to this particular type of,

duplicating machine.

The duplicating machine, shown comprises a main frame I which carries arotatable duplicating or copying roll 2. Supported closely adjacent tothe roll 2 is a stationary member in the form of a, paper-supportingshelf 3 which has hinged to its inner edge a paper feeding and guidingplate i. Behind the roll 2 is a tray 5 which receives the paper sheetsafter being printed by the roll 2. Supported on the rear part of themachine above the tray 5 by standards 6 is a horizontal forwardlyprojecting tray 1 which is normally used for supporting packages ofpaper.

It will be noted from Fig. 4 that the roll 2 is a broken roll having thesegmental cutaway por" tion or space 3. The roll 2 ha supported withinits interior a feed roll l0 and a rewind roll ll'for' the copying film8. The film passes from roll i9, outwardly around the printing segmentof the roll as shown, and then inwardly around the rewind roll II. It isoften desirable to clean and recondition the exposed surface of thefilm. :Dur-

ing the cleaning operation the plate 4 is swung forwardly, as shown inFig. 4. Since the roll 2 rotates in a counterclockwise direction,towards the rear edge of shelf 3, there is danger of the fingers of theoperator being caught in the segmental portion 9 of the roll 2 andwedged against the rear edge of shelf 3, if it is attempted to wipe thefilm clean with a sponge by hand. To overcome this difiiculty and toclean the film more thoroughly, I provide my cleaning device.

My cleaning device comprises a long sponge l2 of rubber, or othersuitable material, which is preferably of rectangular cross-section, asshown in Fig. 5, more or less in the form of a squeegee. This sponge iscarried in a metal holder l3 of inverted U cross-section which has itsends closed. When the sponge is inserted in this holder l3, it isretained therein by means of bolts M which pass through longitudinallyspaced vertical slots Ma in the sponge and aligning opening in the sidewalls of the holder l3. Wing nut [5 are threaded on the ends of bolts l4and, when tightened, cause the holder l3 to tightly clamp the spongetherein. It will be noted that the sponge projects a considerabledistance below the lower edges of the holder l3 and i verticallyadjustable therein.

Within the holder [3 at the top thereof above the sponge and extendingfor the entire length thereof is a perforated tube Hi, This tube isadapted to supply liquid to the sponge. The space lfia within the holderabove the sponge will serve as a liquid reservoir. Liquid contained inthe reservoir enters the sponge portion contained within the holder andsaturates that portion of the sponge, as well as the sponge portionoutside the holder through the agency of characteristic sponge action.

For supporting the holder I3, I provide a pi-v oted arm ll in the formof liquid conducting tube. The lower end of this tube 1! passes througha boss Ha on the holder l3 and is connected to :the perforated tube Itin a manner whereby liquid from tube I! passes into tube !6. Tube I! isprovided with a manually operated control valve I8. The upper end of thetube I7 is pivoted by means of an elbow member 19 which is rotatablyconnected at i9a to a stationary pipe section 20 for swinging movementin a vertical plane. The pipe section 20 is secured by brackets 2| tothe bottom surface of the shelf 1. The shelf 1 is inclined rear-wardlyslightly. The tube section 20 extends laterally and is connected to atube 22 which extends rearwardly and laterally to a point adjacent tothe rear edge of shelf 7. At thispoint tube 22 communicates with theinterior rear end of a liquid reservoir 23 which is also inclinedrearwardly. A removable cap 24 is provided on the irrlet of reservoir 23at the forward or higher end thereof. A depending spring clip 25 isprovided on the lower surface of shelf 7 laterally of tube 22 in such aposition that when the arm I! is swung. upwardly it will be grasped bythe clip so that the sponge holder [3, with its associated parts, willbe retained in a horizontal position closely beneath the shelf 1.

It will be apparent that the arm I! is of such length that when thesponge I2 is swung downtoitslowermost position, as shown in Fig. 4, thesponge will contact with a film 8 on the surface of the roll 2. Theamount of liquid fed to the sponge will be controlled by the valve 18.The arm 1''! may be grasped by the hand and be pulled forwardly so thatthe sponge will contact firmly with the film and will wipe it clean.There will be no danger of injury to the hands. When the film has beenproperly cleaned, the arm I! may be swung upwardly out of position.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided adevice which will effectively clean the film of a copying roll of aduplicating machine without any danger of the hands of the operatorbeing injured.

As used herein, the term clean refers to the removal of foreign matter,and it also contemplates the operation of moistening the film, anecessary step in the successful operation of this type of duplicatingdevice.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of iii) the United States of America for governmentpurposes without the payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

What I claim is:

Apparatus for cleaning film carried on the rotating copying roll of aduplicating machine, said apparatus including an elongated spongelikecleaning member coextensive with the width of said film, an elongatedU-shaped holder enclosing a portion of said cleaning member andcontaining an interior space unoccupied by said portion, the remainingportion of said cleanin member protruding from the open side of saidholder, a perforated tube mounted within said holder in the spaceunoccupied by said cleaning member, a liquid reservoir mounted on saidmachine above said roll, a liquid conducting pipe comprising a firstsection communicating at one end with said reservoir and orientedparallel to the axis of said roll, and a second section pivotally joinedat one end to the other end of said first section for movement in avertical plane normal to the axis of said roll, means joinin the otherend of said second section to said perforated tube equidistant the endsthereof for supporting said holder in a position parallel to the axis ofsaid roll whereby said spongeiike member is arranged to swing in anarcuate path, the length of said second section of pipe being sufficientto permit the protruding portion of said spongelike member to contactsaid film when moved to an extremity of its arcuate path, means forcontrolling liquid flow from said reservoir into said holder andspongelilze member, and means for supporting said sec ond section ofpipe, said holder, and said cleaning member clear of said film at theopposite extremity of said path.

CALEB W. HUGHSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 889,507 Chambers June 2, 19081,086,544 Matson Feb. 10, 1914 1,331,984 Fiorentirn' Feb. 24, 19201,639,778 Docke Aug. 23, 1927 1,857,419 Williams May 10, 1932 1,868,783Williams July 26, 1932 1,874,758 Ketchledge et a1. Aug. 30, 19321,964,933 Storck July 3, 1934 2,058,507 Rogers Oct. 27, 1936 2,067,289Ritzerfeld Jan. 12, 1937 2,183,033 Segrin Dec. 12, 1939 2,215,495 BarmanSept. 24, 1940 2,229,583 Morris Jan. 21, 1941 2,234,973 Marchev Mar. 8,1941

